Cleaning apparatus



B L HARRISON CLEANING APPARATUS Filed Feb. 27, 1926 Nov. 13, 1928.

Patented Nov. 13,

mum L. mmnrson, or MAPLEWOOD, mrssounr.

crinanme n'rrnnn'rus.

Application filed remain 27,- 1926. Serial No. 91,019.

This invention relates to cleaning apparatus, and with regard to certain more specific features, to'a safet 'trapg-or solvent reclaimer to be interpose between clarifiers i or tanks and the sewers or other waste systems, and to a method for operating the same.

may be noted the (Provision of a reclaimer 10 or trap and metho for operating the same, for reclaiming gasoline and thelike from sludge which is being transmitted from sol- 'vent clarifiers, solvent tanks, and .the like to sewage and other waste systems; the provision of a trap and method of the class described which makes'safe the process of transmitting said sludge to the waste system both as regards the fire hazard and the chemical hazard to workmen; the provision i ofa trap" and method which prevents the passage of material into a waste system;

which is dangerous tosaid system; the provision of a trap and the method ofoperating the same which is more economical in operatihn than the methods now transmitting sludge; and the provlsion' of a trap which may be simpl and economically fabricated. r Other ob ects will 'be in part obvious and in part pointed herein-- after. t 4 The invention accordingly comprises the steps and sequence of steps, elements and combination of elements, features of construction, and arrangements of parts which 5 will be indicated in the following claims.

In the accompanying drawings, in which is illustrated one of various possible embodimtfi llis of the invention.

- ation;

a settling substantially filled i Fig. 3 is a view similarto Fig; lshowing a sglvent emptying or skimming operation;

-F 4is a view showing'a'sludg e drainingoperation. V v

l t Similarreference characters indicate correspondin parts throughout the several viewsoft edrawin In cleaning estab hments wherein solvents such as gasoline, naphtha and the like are used, solvent clarifiers are usually employed tor cleaningthe solvents after use of Among the several objects of the invention employed for.

readily ruined because of the characteristics of the alkalis.

1 is a vertical section of the trap. showing a sludge filling and agitating oper-- Y with disastrous results during heavy rains Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing operation after the trap has been 0nd, a lead 19 leading I connection from the clarifier system and carsaid solvents. These cla rifiers are adapted .to settle outcertainf impurities in thesolvents and saponify others by contacting alkahs such as caustic soda, tri-s'odium phos- 'phate, or the-"like with the impure solvent.

By-this means a-sludge of saporuc nature is engendered in the clarifiers. Ordinary StOP-z age tanks for the solvents also engender settled impurities therein which may or may not be of the saponic form, but are in the form of a sludge.

The described sliidges' when drained out I of thecla'rifiers and tanks usually contain an appreciable percentage of usable solvent. 7

- Ordinarily these sludges'are thrown directly into the sewers or similar 'waste systems without reclaiming any of the solvents. \It 1s evidentthat-this isa wasteful process and it is alsoa dangerous onel The workmen l are usually required to drain the sludge and the like into vessels which: are carried to. the place ofdrainage. In so far as the, sludges contain a lar e percentage of alkalis. which are liable to hum the men, such as caustic soda, the practice is far from safe. Clothing worn. by the workmen is alsodecomposing Another danger-arising from this practice of throwi sludge into the sewers is that theunreclalmed solvent therein is more or less volatile and is apt to either explode, or. I catch fire in the sewers themselves. As an example of the danger that may arise, if

a a sewer should baflk up into a residenceor the like where there is an open flame, and

the sewage carries a charge of a'floating solvent (the solvent is lighter than w'ater)-- then there is eminent danger of a fire or an as explosion. This contingency has arisen fastened a branch fitting 11 having one lead 13 communicating with the interlor of the; tank 1. Leading into said branch fitting 11 are three other leads These are first, a

lead 15 to the waste or'sewer system having therein a manually operable valve 17;-secno to the sludge-drain many sludge pro ucing devices as desired ;may be connected to the lines 19 and 23, and

as many lines similar to lilies 19 and 23 may be connected into. the lead 13, merely by 1ncreasing the branches on the fitting 11.

Leading sidewardly into the tankl, just above the conical portion 3, is a water inlet.

D 27 havinga manually operable valve 29 connected therein. The inlet pipe 27 carries a water pressure-of the usual amountto be found in munii al water systems. The

' valve is positione so as to be easily grasped Leading horizontally into the tank 1, at a by an operator peering into the tank 1.

more or. less elevated point is a pipe 31 which leads upwardly within the lnt8IiOI 0f the tank 1 and is provided with. an opening 33.

This pipe-31 comprises an overflow discharge reclaimed solvent backto the, storage tan As shown in the drawings,

. for carryin it is located centrally of the tank The operation of. he reclaimer or trap is as follows F .The sludge drain valve 17 is. shut off, and

- "either or both the clarifier valve 21 and the tank valve 25 are opened. The inlet water control valve 29 is also opened. The lid 7 .is .onthe tank 1. Sludge-is thus discharged from the'clarifiers and/or tanks into the present tank 1 by means of the lines 19' and/01323. The sludge comes into. this de-' vice in a more 9r less mushy condition, such that it will slowly pass through a one and i one-half inch pipe. It may be forced in by into the reclaimer, a stream of water plays on and-into it from the inlet pipe 27. ince this. sludge consists of a large percentage of soapy matter, the action -of th'ewater is-to thin the sludge by freeing. t e gasoline and clean solvents that are confined-in said sludge, andpermitting the greater portion of impurities (other than soap) to settle by gravity, while the wateritself holds the soapy matter in solution. One of the conditions that takes place Fig. 1.

After filling has been completed, all valves are shut off as illustrated in Fig. 2,, that is,

during the filling operation is illustrated in J when the level-of theliquid in the ye'claimer is suflicient to permit of a settling action. The liquid is then left to settle for a period, after which the usable solvfent appears at the surface as aflotation and a mixture of sludge and soapy waterappears at the lower pointsin the tank 1(Fig. 2). The. settling or flotation eriod isusuall'y of short duration due to t e weight of the sludge.

After settling has been completed the in, let water valve 29 is again opened whereby by dissolving the soap, therethe upper level ofsthe sludge and soapy water is gradually elevated and the volume ofclean solvent .thereabove caused to over- As flow int the pipe 31. The lid 7 is removed,

and whi e an operator keeps his hand on the control valve 29 he may observe the progress of the overflowing event (Fig. 3). This comprises an ideal decanting process as the inflowing fresh water does not much disturb the relatively thick settled muck and'sludge. The valve 29 is adapted by its position to be fully controlled as the operator watches the rising sludge level and the decanting process.

' After the greater portion of the clear solvent has been drained to the overflow, its depth is decreased to such an extentthat the operator can view the upper surface of the sludge as it rises toward the mouth 33 of the overflow.v As said surface approaches the mouth 33 the operator shuts off the valve 29. Hence the reclaiming operation on the-solvent is completed. I

It now only remains to drain the now harmless sludge, water and suspendedsoapy matter. tothe sewer or other wage system. This is done by opening the dra' sewen'or the like. It should be noted that the water which came in the valve 29 to force the solvent to overflow had a thinning action on the lower portions of the sludge. The sludge was thick enough however. to pre vent the moving water from disturbing its surface enough tocause a re-admixture of sludge-with the se arated solvent.

1 As the water an sludge drain out through J the valve 17. the'upper surface'of the sludge gravityor pumped in. As this sludge runs gradually descends down to the conical porvalve 17 'which permits said material to pass to the depth of solvent above it representing the T differential depth at the outlet. 33-which prevents sludge from going into the overlit] flow. This solvent will tend to be reclaimed p at the next operation of the device.- During the draining operation the lid 7 may again, .be replaced 4).

at th It is evident t p e above described cyclec-f events may be repeatedas often asdesired. By means of this invention a great quantity of heretofore wasted solvent is reclaimed, the heretofore dangerous sludge isrendered harmless, the fire hazard, due to 121 carrying out open vessels of inflammable.

sludge is reduced, andworkmen are-protect:

ed: from the liability of being burned splashing caustic solutions and thelike. dangerous liquids are kept within oontain- 121 ers and pipes and under the control of op erators by means of valves. Aigreat amount of time is also conserved.

Inview of the above,-1t will be seen that it the several objects of the invention aregll achieved and other advantageous results attained. I I As many-changes could be made in carrying out the above constructions without departing from the scope of the invention. it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or'shown in the accom-" pany-ing drawings shall be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim:

-1. The method of reclaiming solvent and the like from sludge and thelike, whereby the solvent is saved and sludge rendered harmless comprising passing at one time solvent carrying sludge and water into a chamber having an overflow therein to a depth below the overflow, mixing the sludge "and water settling out the sludge and water below the solvent of said sludge, passing water into the chamber below the upper sludge and water surfaee whereb solvent ,is v

decanted into the overflow, shuttlng off said water before. sludge and water reach the overflow, and then draining the sludge and water from the tank.

2. The method of reclaiming solvent and the like comprising passingsludge and water into a chamber having an overflow therein to a depth below the overflow, mixing the sludge and water within said chamber as they enter, settling out the sludge and water v 

